Mathare coach Ali expects tough battle from Gor

Mathare United head coach Salim Ali expects a tough fight when his boys face off with Gor Mahia in Thursday’s league match.

Ali reckons that the presence of a new coach Calos Manuel Vas Pinto will be a motivating factor as Gor players would be keen to catch his eye hence a tough contest.

The ‘Slum Boys’ haven’t kicked a ball for around 309 days and Ali  says he’ll be using their first three league matches to get the boys fit as well as gel.

“They (Gor Mahia players) will want to prove to their new coach of their ability and this is one of the fixtures that has never been an easy one.

It will be an entertaining match”, Ali said adding, “We are trying to however get fitness now that we were forced to have a pre-season when the league had already started. We lost a lot of players and also signed many which means we have to see how they can gel together.”

After fielding six newly acquired players, United were beaten 3-2 by Sofapaka in their league opener over the weekend and they will be aiming for their first win on Thursday when they tackle K’Ogalo.

The 2008 league champions who are rooted at the bottom of the 18-team table though with five matches at hand were among the busiest clubs in the last transfer window that ended on November 6 signing nine and releasing seven.

David ‘Cheche’ Ochieng from Al Ansar of Saudi Arabia is among the newly acquired players with Kevin Kimani moving to Wazito FC.